Greenwood Lake Middle School, Monroe NY

Original Research by School Decision on Greenwood Lake Middle School

Greenwood Lake Middle School serves fourth through eighth grade in Monroe, New York, on a regional system rather than in the village center itself. The school draws an enrollment spread across five grade levels, with the composition roughly stable by grade. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and smaller numbers of Asian and multiracial students.

The school's most recent state testing results show a mixed academic picture, one that varies sharply by grade. Fourth and sixth grade proficiency in math sits below the midpoint, while fifth grade performs better. By seventh grade, math proficiency rises to quite strong performance. Eighth grade math proficiency settles in the middle range. English language arts shows more consistent strength, with fifth and seventh grades both posting strong results. Fourth grade ELA proficiency is solid, sixth grade is moderate, and eighth grade is strong. In the science tests reported, fifth grade comes in at moderate proficiency and eighth grade performs well. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Orange County, which signals meaningful academic achievement even as individual grade results show variation.

A parent reading these data should understand that this is a small school where individual cohorts matter and results can fluctuate. The strength appears genuine in some grades and subjects, particularly in ELA and seventh grade math, but the weakness in fourth and sixth grade math warrants attention. A parent might want to ask the school directly about what accounts for the wide grade-to-grade swings, whether specific instructional approaches differ by grade, and what support exists for students in the lower-performing cohorts.

The district itself has faced recent changes that affect the school's context. In May, voters rejected the district's proposed budget for the upcoming year, forcing district leaders to revise it and schedule a second vote in June. A budget failure can mean reduced programs and services or hiring freezes. For a school this size, such financial uncertainty can ripple through classroom staffing and offerings. Additionally, the district recently adopted a cell-phone ban during the instructional day, aligning with New York's Distraction-Free Schools Law. This is a day-to-day classroom-culture shift that affects how students and families experience the learning environment.

Housing values in the 10950 zip code are above the state benchmark and have risen modestly year over year. Rents have climbed as well, and the combined picture of mortgage costs and rent suggests cost-of-living pressure in the area. Monroe itself has seen moderate growth in recent years, with new residential projects including townhomes and apartments approved or under construction, which adds to the housing supply but also signals ongoing development activity in the community.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

New York Regents Exams

2 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Math	15	100.0%
Science	15	100.0%

Math

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 48%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 63% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 794%

School 94% · District 89% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 64% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 590%

School 90% · District 91%

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 793%

School 93% · District 87% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 45 pts above county median

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 74% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Science

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 67% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · District 67% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 595%

School 95% · District 96%

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 75% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolGREENWOOD LAKE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income70%Higher-income75%5 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income57%Higher-income67%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income83%Higher-income100%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income54%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income57%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income86%Higher-income100%14 pp gap